Glycerin Soap Making

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Background

For every 100 gallons of Biodiesel produced, there are 20 gallons of glycerin by-product. That's a lot of something we needed to deal with. To close this waste loop of the process, we began experimenting. After trial and error and changing our method, our experiements became fruitful. We had a truly usable soap made from Biodiesel's glycerin by-product.

In the beginning we had to build the facility. So, we didn't have our own glycerin (where were we to make the stuff?) and our glycerin making space moved from a dorm room kitchen with an electric burner (that was fun to clean) to the great outdoors during a Boone winter using a propane camp stove. (do not do this if you do not have to.) This set up worked for us while we needed it to. But the situation is not permanent.

Now back to where we got the glycerin. Well, A friend gave us 10 gallons. This glycerin was the biproduct of a biodiesel reaction that used NaOH (or Lye) as the catalyst. We like to refer to this kind of glycerin as Lye Glycerin or sometimes NaOH Glycerin.

After our experiments and success with this type of glycerin, we finally completed contruction of our procesor, and started making our own biodiesel and thus our own glycerin. In our Biodiesel reaction we use KOH, or Potassium Hydroxide, as our catalyst and we like to call our glycerin from this reaction KOH Glycerin.

The amazing Justin Stiles: ready, willing and capable when help is needed. And the incredible Terra Currie: Soap Mistress, brewer of the suds, creator of soapthing usable.

Terra checking the temperature of her NaOH glycerin before methanol removal.

Soapmaking Methods and Experiences

If You're interested in our Soapmaking methods click here to downloadOr maybe you STILL have Methanol in your glycerin?

Because KOH glycerin and NaOH glycerin behave differently from each other, we are sharing our experiences with both. Click on the links below for a description of these experiences.

Distillation

Our ultimate methanol removal method will be through distillation while the glycerin is in the reactor. Methanol recovery is safer, and better for the environment. We hope that our current dangerous and toxic methanol removal methods will soon be unnecessary.

We will make our experiences with methanol recovery available as soon as possible.